The Kentucky Small Business Development Center is pleased to announce the Louisville Small Business Development Center is the recipient of the 2016 Sutton Landry State Star for Kentucky. The Louisville staff was recognized at a private reception during the recent America’s SBDC Conference in Orlando, Florida.

America’s SBDC annually honors a state star. The award is presented to an individual or group who is considered an example of excellence, makes a significant contribution to their center’s program and exhibits dedication to assisting small businesses.

“We are truly honored to represent the University of Kentucky and our colleagues from the Kentucky Small Business Development Center network. To be recognized by our peers on a national level is a great honor; we are simply a reflection of the entrepreneurs we so proudly serve,” said Janet Flaugh, communications coordinator for the Louisville SBDC.

State director Becky Naugle said, “The Louisville SBDC staff are truly state stars. They work hard to serve businesses with innovative programs and high quality advice. KSBDC appreciates all they do and is proud to see them receive this honor.”

The Louisville team has established and maintained numerous relationships with resource partners and stakeholders throughout the nine counties they serve. Through their work, the team has connected clients with organizations such as county economic development organizations, local development districts, recreational and tourism organizations, financial institutions, legislators, as well as many industry experts and business organizations across the greater Louisville area.

“This is a tremendous honor for the Louisville SBDC,” said center director David Oetken. “It’s really a testament to our expert staff, and the great entrepreneurs who are launching startups or scaling up their existing businesses in the Louisville region. We are proud to provide guidance and specialized counsel as small-business owners work to build and finance their dream ventures in fields ranging from restaurants to services to tech to manufacturing.”

This team’s dedication to client counseling, proposal preparation and superb business plan assistance has contributed to the many successes the Kentucky SBDC network has realized over the past three decades. Over the years, members of the Louisville office have been honored for extraordinary work, each receiving statewide recognition for performance and productivity.

The Kentucky Small Business Development Center, part of the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, is a network of 15 offices located throughout the state that helps existing and start-up businesses succeed by offering high quality, in-depth and hands-on services. KSBDC is a partner program with the U.S. Small Business Administration. For more information on KSBDC services, visit their website, http://www.ksbdc.org/.